His father was a king who greatly angered God during his reign in Judah. Before his death, he raided the house of God, closed its doors, and worshiped the gods of the land. God’s house remained closed and desecrated until his death.

Hezekiah became king after him. In the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened the doors of the temple, gathered its ministers together, and decreed that the temple be restored. When the temple and its priests were purified, Hezekiah ordered temple worship to begin again.

Then Hezekiah gave the order for the burnt offering to be offered on the altar.
When the burnt offering began, the song to the LORD also began…
While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded;
all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
2 Chronicles 29:27

The movement back to God spread throughout the land. Soon Passover was reinstituted, as well. Their sacrifices to God were accompanied with praise and “loud instruments to the LORD.”

So there was great joy in Jerusalem….
2 Chronicles 29:26

Thousands of years later, two men sat in the inner bowels of a prison in the city of Philippi. Their “crime” was the deliverance of a slave girl. Their feet were fastened in stocks to ensure they couldn’t escape.

They spent a miserable, sleepless night. Around midnight, Paul and Silas began to sing and pray. The other prisoners listened to them, a captive audience of sorts. They must have been used to hearing the sounds of cursing in that place, but not the sweet sound of a song.

Paul and Silas had every reason to complain. No one would have faulted them for feeling sorry for themselves, for giving in to their fears. Maybe they felt this way. All we know is that as they offered their lives to God, they praised Him, and they sang.

Suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken;
and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
Acts 16:26

Are you feeling burned today? Have the trials of life singed you and imprisoned you and caused you sleepless nights? If you have cleansed your house and offered your life as a sacrifice to Him, He is here. In the night, when the pain is great, He is here. In the deepest, darkest place you dwell, give Him your worship. It will shake your world, unfasten your chains, and fill you with joy. When your life is on the altar, resist the temptation to watch the fire. Instead, raise your eyes to heaven. Believe, trust, and obey.

Especially, sing.

About Pamela Thorson:

Pamela Thorson is a licensed practical nurse, author, and full-time caregiver. She pioneered in the homeschooling movement from 1982-2006 and authored her first book, Song in the Night, in 2008. She resides in the Northwest with her family.

Across the United States, nature has been on a rampage. A series of earthquakes, fires, hurricanes,

Slightly Obsessed #195: What Is the Apocalypse?

The Long Range Weather Forecast published by The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2017 accurately predicted a bitter winter last year, which dumped so much snow on the country that it inspired the Snowpocalypse festival in Milwaukee, Snowpocalypse survivor badges in Boise, and its own Twitter hashtag #snowmageddon. In keeping with our national compulsion to turn every personal victory or trial into a meme, we can now add -mageddon or -pocalypse to a catastrophe for an over-the-top event to post on our favorite social media outlet.

Slightly Obsessed #194 Heaven Is Calling: More than an Angel

The question is rhetorical, with God assuming the reader will understand that the answer is, “There is no angel whom the Lord has called His Son.” This passage is one meant to address the dilemma posed to the first century Christians, but it is one whom every person must answer in his own heart:

Slightly Obsessed #193: The Day America Looked Up

They came from around the world, filling motels, jamming the highways, and staking their claim on a piece of history as a rare total solar eclipse turned millions of people heavenward in the United States, a nation transfixed by the spectacle.

Slightly Obsessed #192: Heaven Is Calling: Consider Jesus

Some days we can barely hear it. Other days it drives us to our knees. But it’s always there; that persistent tug in our souls. Whether we trudge through our days or chase the stars of fame and fortune, we can’t drown out the cry that sounds silently in the pit of our being, jarring us with its urgency and moving us with its tears.

#JordanForJesus: Grace

No matter what you may be going through in life, I want you to know that God's grace is sufficient for you. You may have messed up, you may have failed, you may have gone the wrong direction, you may have gossiped, or much worse, but God wants you to know that it does not define who you are. He does. He and His grace is much more powerful than anything you might have said or done. Grace always shocks. It always amazes, and it always stuns. Grace is what we all need. It's what everyone groping around lost in the darkness needs to know.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 6, 2017) — “Real Love,” the brand-new song from powerhouse vocalist Blanca, is now available at all digital service providers and digital retailers. Upon release on Aug. 25, Spotify immediately added the fresh single to